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Council approved $431 million supplemental budget focuses on stronger internal oversight for county funded programs

June 23, 2026

The King County Council on Tuesday approved a $431 million supplemental budget that funds stronger oversight of taxpayer dollars, including funding for the future Division of Inspector General and suspected fraud hotline, contract and compliance oversight, enhanced ethics standards and protection of voting with more dropboxes and enhanced dropbox security. The supplemental budget also includes funding for law and justice, food security, immigrants and refugees, and more.

“I’m grateful for the unanimous vote approving the first supplemental budget for the 2026-2027 biennium. This budget makes significant investments in housing, human services, public safety, transit and enhanced oversight for county programs in light of recent audit findings,” said Rod Dembowski, King County Council Budget Chair. “I am firmly committed to ensuring that our county programs effectively deliver needed services to our residents, especially in light of adverse actions at the federal level. This supplemental budget makes important investments on those commitments to enhance community well-being and improve county operations. I want to extend particular gratitude to Vice Chair Barón, Councilmember Fain, and our staff for their excellent work and helpful contributions as part of our budget leadership team, which led council’s review and revisions to the Executive-proposed budget.”

Councilmembers expressed broad support for boosting oversight of county funds in response to recommendations in a recent report from the King County Auditor and Office of the Ombuds.

Key Council additions to the approved budget include:

$1.75 million for internal oversight:

  • $600K to fund the anticipated new Division of Inspector General and a hotline to receive reports of suspected fraud, waste and abuse
  • $250K for DCHS to procure a consultant to support contract management and fiscal compliance improvements in response to Auditor’s recommendations.
  • $400K and 1.5 FTEs for Office of Risk Management for work to update the ethics code.
  • $500K to support response identified in Motion 16970 which requested the Executive to report on KCRHA corrective actions, administrative funding needs, and decision framework regarding ILA and potential impact, and steps to protect the county’s investment pool.

$773k for law & justice programs:

  • $150K for Regional Office of Gun Violence to collaborate with Rainier Beach High School for safe passage walkers and address safety concerns in the school area.
  • $150K to support investigation and resolution of cold cases at King County Sheriff’s Office
  • $473K to support the Survivors First program that diverts domestic violence survivors from prosecution to supportive services.
  • Requiring a use of force report on implementing the Ombuds recommendation and a review of Adult and Juvenile Detention use of force policies and procedures.

    Council also added $190,000 for immigrant and refugee supports, $620,000 for food banks and food security programs, $10 million in contingency funds to offset potential reductions in federal homelessness resources, $1.4 million directed at addressing homelessness, and $50,000 for LGBTQ programs. Additionally, they approved $100,000 for Project Be Free to provide crisis response to people affected by domestic violence, and $500,000 for more ballot dropboxes and enhanced dropbox security to bolster people’s right to vote.

    The approved budget also includes major investments from the Executive’s proposed budget, including:

  • $164 million for King County Metro to start the process to purchase 115 hybrid electric buses to ensure delivery by 2028-2029.  
  • $25 million for the King County Sheriff's Office and Office of Emergency Management to support public safety during FIFA World Cup 2026 matches hosted in the region, including additional staffing and multilingual public safety messaging campaigns.  
  • $23 million to begin work on the future home of the Pioneer Square Clinic, which serves low-income residents with health care services that they may not be able to access elsewhere.  
  • $6.5 million for critical, life safety capital projects at the King County Courthouse, the Chinook Building, the Maleng Regional Justice Center, and the King County Correctional Facility.   
  • $5.4 million to continue implementing the County’s long-term hybrid workplace plans, including tenant improvements to underutilized office spaces. Council will receive an assessment of the timeline, cost, and progress on future occupancy in order to inform future budget requests.
  • $4.9 million to fund labor agreements for represented employees.   
  • $2.7 million to add investigators, paralegals, legal assistants, and mitigation specialists in the Department of Public Defense to ensure clients receive high quality legal representation.  
  • $2 million in resources for immigrant and refugee communities including legal, food, and rental assistance, fulfilling the commitment Executive Zahilay made in his February Executive Order directing county agencies to strengthen protections and expand emergency support for immigrant and refugee residents impacted by federal immigration enforcement.  
  • $2 million in supplemental rental assistance for residents in need. 

Tuesday’s approved supplemental budget is one of several that occur throughout the span of the biennial budget to make adjustments based on changes in predicted revenue and expenditures as well as add funding for new or expanded programs.

ADDITIONAL QUOTES:

Council Chair Sarah Perry: “I’m grateful to have worked with my Council colleagues and staff to craft a supplemental budget that makes thoughtful investments in areas of critical need. We’re investing in food security and critical needs resulting from federal housing funding cuts, tackling fraud through the creation of an inspector general, and partnering with Eastside Fire & Rescue and King County Search and Rescue on community safety and emergency preparedness. These investments we make today will ensure the health and safety of all King County residents now and into the future.”

Councilmember Steffanie Fain: “This supplemental budget makes targeted investments to address immediate challenges across King County while navigating ongoing uncertainty in state and federal funding.  It reflects a balanced approach by prioritizing critical services, supporting vulnerable communities, and remaining responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars."

Councilmember Jorge L. Barón: “This supplemental budget emphasizes the importance of reliable and consistent county services at a time when our residents and our region will experience even greater impacts from changing federal policies. This budget ensures that resources are in place to help meet the needs of our residents in the short-term, while we continue to work towards sustainable solutions.”

Councilmember Rhonda Lewis: “These are hard times — I hear it from constituents every time I’m out in the district, every meeting I attend. People are worried, and the problems coming to us at the local level are real and they are not getting simpler. What makes this budget meaningful is that Council found a way to meet the moment even within our limited revenue options. This budget lets King County do what we’re here to do: keep people safe, protect the Puget Sound, and show up for our communities with dignity. I came to this Council to serve District 2 and all of King County, and I’m proud to say today — we did right by our residents.”

Councilmember Claudia Balducci: “Today, I joined my colleagues to pass a supplemental budget that brings important support to District 6 and to King County as a whole, investing in services and programs that will make life better for people across our region. I am particularly grateful for the support for amendments to the budget that focused on fiscal responsibility and good government. Thanks to my colleagues and our community partners for crafting a budget that continues our work on behalf of King County residents."